Published on 04/23/2010

Through the eyes and words of Morasha Winokur, two separate stories within the same family are told. Being the sibling of a child with special needs has it s own unique challenges that often go unrecognized, unseen. Winokur's book, "My Invisible World," speaks a gentle truth with unashamed honesty that many families face daily behind closed doors. In addition, this young author exposes a hidden public health crisis that impacts each of us. This completely preventable disability occurs when a pregnant women drinks alcohol. 1 out of 100 live births are affected by prenatal alcohol exposure and it is the leading known cause of intellectual disability. As the typical sister, Winokur wrestles with the angst of whether or not it is better to remain translucent in her existence, or whether she should embrace the visibility that having a service dog in the family creates. Not only is an eleven year old boy's hidden disability validated by the service dog but the effort it takes for an entire family to support this person becomes perceptible. The unconditional presence and specifically trained skills of an irresistible 90 pound Golden Retriever help to heal not only Winokur's brother, but each member of the family in unexpected ways.

My Invisible World: Life with My Brother, His Disability and His Service Dog by Morasha R. Winokur:

Better Endings New Beginnings (2009)
ISBN 9780984200702
Reviewed by Evan Weldon (age 7) for Reader Views (11/09)

“My Invisible World: Life with My Brother, His Disability and His Service Dog” by eleven-year-old Morasha R. Winokur is an excellent book about what it is like for the author to live with her disabled brother and his service dog.

Morasha and her brother Iyal are both the same age. They were adopted from Russia. When Iyal was still in his mother’s womb, his birth mother drank some alcohol. What the mother eats and drinks is what the baby eats and drinks, too. Alcohol damages the developing brain in the baby, destroying some of the brain cells that help control behavior, thinking, learning and remembering things. This kind of disability is called Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

Life is hard for Iyal. Sometimes, if he is even thinking of Morasha, he will scream out her name for a really long time. Iyal needs a lot of attention from his parents, so sometimes Morasha feels like she doesn’t get any attention. Sometimes Iyal embarrasses her in front of her friends, and sometimes keeps her from being able to do things she wants to do. Iyal can be really annoying, but Morasha still loves him a lot.

When they finally get a service dog named Chancer, it helps the whole family immensely. Chancer gives Iyal (and everybody else, too) lots of love. When Iyal is having a tantrum, Chancer will lie on him to calm him down. Chancer can keep Iyal from wandering away with strangers or running into the street.

The book has fifteen pages of photos of Morasha, Iyal, Chancer and their family. They are extremely good and help you to get to know the family.

If I could give “My Invisible World: Life with My Brother, His Disability and His Service Dog” by Morasha R. Winokur more than five stars, I would! It is probably the best book I have ever reviewed. Everybody should read this book. I think that there are three things that everyone should learn from this book. First, women should never drink any alcohol if they could possibly be pregnant. Second, everyone should treat people with disabilities and their families nicely. Finally, everyone should respect working dogs.